Final Exam/Essay

Kara SuckowEDUP-550When a new teacher is preparing a classroom and puttingtogether a successful learning environment, one of the first things heor she should consider is, What kind of teacher do I want to be? Thetextbook for this course provided great information on various theoriesa teacher can model their personal philosophies after. I found theexistentialism theory interesting and I like the idea of establishingresponsibility in each student. I agree with this theory that studentsshould be able to choose what they want to learn and hold a largeamount of responsibility for their academic progress. This theorypresents a non-traditional teaching method, but this could allowstudents to find value in their education and how it will help thempersonally.Another main component of being a quality of teacher is toremain ethical in all situations. Using ethical behavior helps developtrust with students and creates a positive learning environment.Behaving ethically in the classroom means that the teacher alwaystakes the high road and behaves in a professional manner at all times.Ethical behavior should not only be use in front of students, but alsowith work colleagues like other teachers, school employees, andadministrators. Ethics are not laws, but rather what we feel we shouldor shouldn't do and based on our personal belief system. The NEA

provides a list of ethical behaviors, labeling what things a teacher

should and should not do. From the course textbook, there are 5 mainethical behaviors a teacher should always demonstrate: 1) Serve as apositive role model, 2) Put students best interests ahead of otherinterests, 3) Collaborate with and support colleagues, 4)Create/maintain a productive learning environment for students, 5)Diversify instruction to address differences between students. Showingthese behaviors every day in the classroom will allow our students tolearn how to behave ethically and create a close learning community.A third important component to consider when creating alearning environment is how you want to manage your classroom.When considering classroom management, a teacher should always beup to date on school/district policies. It's very important to make sureyou understand rules and consequences the school has designed, andyou can build how you want your individual classroom style aroundthat. Teachers need to consider how their classroom managementstyle is going to directly impact the particular group of students whospend the most time in that room. The textbook had great suggestionsof things to keep in mind when planning a classroom: 1) PhysicalSpace- It's important to create a space that is welcoming and studentfriendly. Kids want to come to school and feel at home with a spacethey will spend the majority of their day in. Rooms should be arrangedand decorated appropriately. 2) Building Community- A classroom is a

place where students can share a set of common beliefs, and developa sense of "like-mindedness". It's important for teachers and theirstudents to share trust, care, unconditional support, and use socialmedia in the classroom. 3) Withitness- Teachers need to be "with it"at all times and aware of what is going on in their classrooms. It is truethat teachers need to have "eyes in the back of their head". 4) UseTime Wisely- Teachers have a lot of curriculum to cover in a shortamount of time. It's important to maximize the amount ofteaching/learning time. 5) Practice Routines- The first few weeks ofschool should follow a predictable routine, so students can get used toa teachers management style. This allows teachers to be moreproductive. It also allows them to capture the students' attention,respond to interruptions to the routine, and be able to transitionsmoothly.Once a teacher has determined how they want their classroomrun, and what is most important to them as an educator, he or sheshould carefully consider the type of students in the classroom. This isessential when writing lesson plans and preparing learning objectives.A teacher needs to start by determining what the objective of theassignment is, and then plan what materials are needed and how tointroduce the topic to the class. Plans for how to carry out the activityshould be plotted out, and a teacher should also consider how theycould check the class and/or individual students for understanding. A

timeline of how long the lesson will take should be determined, anddifferentiated strategies should be documented in the event the classneeds more time to understand the concepts or tasks. Combining theappropriate lesson planning strategies with they way a teacher wantsto run their classroom will lead to a successful school year.